Musical instrument



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L. V. BARNARD. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS No. 419,625. Patented Jan. 21, 1890WITNESSES. N'l/ENTO/i w im-M5! I v N- PEYEIIS, MLW. Wm D.C

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIUS V. BARNARD, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,625, dated January21 1890. Application filed March 1, 1889. Serial No. 301,602. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUoIUs V. BARNARD, of Pittsfield, in the county ofBerkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedMusical Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to stringed instruments of the violin classsuch asviolins, cellos, double bass, &c.; and its object is to provide a newand improved musical instrument which has a superior quality of volumeand compass of tone, with great capacity for active execution.

The invention consists of a neck and fingerboard elevated above thebelly and extending over part of the same to within a short distance ofthe bridge.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described, andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the same 011 the line w00 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams of the strings.

The improved musical instrument A is provided with a belly B, connectedby the sides or ribs 0 and D with the back E, so as to form the bodyportion of the instrument. On the upper end of the body is secured thetenon or post F, which supports the neck G, carrying the finger-board Hand the scroll or head I. The latter is provided with the usual pins fortuning the strings. The neck G extends downward and upward from thetenon F, so as to project at the lower part over a portion of the bellyB, and in the left side of the said neck is formed a curved recess G,inverted at the top to give convexity to the under side of the neck, andextending from the scroll I to a transverse stop G in the lower end ofthe said neck G. The curved recess G is adapted to receive the thumb ofthe players left hand, so as to guide the hand up and down on thefinger-board H very conveniently when pressing the strings. I may alsomake use of other forms of recess than the one shown. The finger-board Hprojects a short distance below the lower end of the neck G, so as to bewithin a short distance of the bridge K. I may make the neck to servethe purpose of and to be identical with the finger-board. Between theupper end of the finger-board and the commencement of the scroll I isplaced the usual nut J, over which the strings pass.

At each side of the bridge K, in the belly B, are formed the usualS-shaped side holes L, and on the lower end of the belly B is arrangedthe end'pin and usual tail-piece N, to which the strings are fastened.The upper end of the left rib C of the body of the instrument isS-shaped, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1, While the other side D isprovided with the usual waist, as shown. The part B of the belley B overthe S-shaped upper end of the rib C is flattened downward, so as to givesufficient room for the operators hand, wrist, and forearm, so as tomove the same in proper position unobstructed from the lowest to thehighest notes on the finger-board H.

The instrument is preferably provided with five strings tuned by fifths,the higher strings corresponding in pitch to the middle and upperregisters of the soprano voice, to which they also bear a strikingresemblance in quality of tone.

The body partof the instrument is about twenty-three inches long, andwith the neck and scroll included measures about thirtyfive inches. TheWidth of the large end of the body is fourteen inches and the small endabout ten inches. The depth of the instrument is about three inches,with a moderate swell in the belly and back.

The strings are arranged as shown in Fig. 4, and the first string ispreferably about threefourths the size of the A violin-string, thesecond string is three-fourths the size of the D violin-string, thethird string is about threefourths the size of the D cello-string, thefourth is a small G cello-string, and the fifth is asmall C cellostring.I may, however, remove the B orfirst string and make E to be the firststring, as shown inv Fig. 5, and thus the instrument receives a capacityto perform cello parts perfectly and with great advantage in fingering,the stops being much shorter and easier to reach than those on thecello.

It will be seen that by elevating and extending the neck over the bellyan uninterrupted passage under the neck or finger-board is formed forthe thumb, whereby the performer may guide his hand and carry it deftlyfrom the first to the highest position without obstruction at theshoulder, where the neck joins the body, and where, on all otherinstruments of this class, the thumb is obstructed in passing to thehighest positions on the fingerboard.

The special form of the ribs C and the bentdown part B of the belly Bpermits the performer to move his hand and arm easily to any desiredposition on the finger-board.

The instrument enables the performer to bring into action every note thestrings are capable of with wonderful facility, giving a control of thefingering unapproached by any otherinstrnment of its class. The sweet,rich, mellow, and sympathetic qual it y, with the fullness and greatresonance of tone imparted by the large vibratory surfaces of the body,make theinstrument of special value. The instrument possesses adistinctive tone throughout, it being of a marked difference from thatof the violin, viola, or cello.

When played, the instrument is held in the lap with the back toward theperformer, the scroll in front of the left shoulder, and the lower rightrib of the side resting against the right leg just above the knee, thefirst string being at the left. By attaching a small strap to the endpin N and the opposite end of the strap to the chair of the performer,the strap passing under the instrument and over'the left side of thelap, the inst 'ument is held with the utmost ease and for a great lengthof time without becoming tiresome. By passing a strap under the extendedpart of the neck and over the performers neck the instrument is easilyplayed while standing or walking.

The remarkable facility the instrument affords for rapid and variedexecution, its capacity for two or three parts at once, itseffectiveness in and particular adaptation for pizzicato, harmonics, andfor all the exquisite effects of the glide that the violin is capableof, together with its great compass of tone, reaching from the lowestnotes of the cello to near the highest tones of the violin, and theconvenience and gracefulness with which it is held during performance,either by a lady or gentleman, eminently adapt the instrument for soloperformance, accompanying the Voice, and other varied and importantuses.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A stringed musical instrument of the violinclass, provided with a finger-board elevated above the belly andextending over part of the same, and provided with a continuous passagefor the thumb, substantially as shown and described.

2. A stringed musical instrument of the violin class, provided with aneck elevated above the belly and extending over part of the same, andprovided with a passage for the thumb, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a stringed musical instrument of the violin class, thecombination, with the body part, of the neck secured on the upper end ofthe said body part and elevated over the belly and extending ever partof the same, said neck being also provided with a groove or space forthe reception of the thumb, a finger-board held on the said neck, orsaid neck serving alone as finger-board and extending to within a shortdistance of the bridge, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a stringed musical instrument of the violin class, thecombination, with the body part having the upper end of one side shapedand part of the belly of this side fiattened down, of a neck secured onthe upper end of the body part, elevated above the belly and extendingover part of the same, and provided with a passage for the thumb,substantially as shown and described.

5. In a stringed musical instrument of the violin class, thecombination, with the body part, of a neck secured to the body part,elevated above the belly and extending over part of the same, andprovided with a passage for the thumb, a finger-board secured on theneck and extending to within a short distance of the side of the bridge,and a scroll secured on the end of the said neck and earrying the usualpins for tuning the strings, substantially as shown and described.

LUCIUS V. BARNARD.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY M. PITT, GEo. H. TUCKER.

